THE Liberal Party (LP) “Otso Diretso,” a campaign slate with eight senatorial bets, on Friday, January 18, visited the City of San Fernando to get the support of the Fernandinos for the upcoming May 2019 election.
The Otso Diretso -- Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV together with veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, Magdalo representative Gary Alejano, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, and former Quezon representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III presented themselves to Fernandinos.
Aquino told SunStar Pampanga that the Otso Diretso slate would present to Filipinos their accomplishments and their plans for the whole country.
“We really need to re-introduce ourselves to our fellow Filipinos and Fernandinos. We want to take every opportunity to be near to the people, converse with them, and share what we want to do for our country,” Aquino said.
“On behalf of the members of our slate, there are six candidates who don’t have any senatorial backgrounds, yet they have already done a lot of good things for the country---things people don’t know about. I hope that everybody will be aware of them since we are travelling around the country to spread their good credentials and advocacies,” the senator added.
Pampanga Vice Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda and former City of San Fernando mayor Oscar “Oca” Rodriguez also graced the event, giving their support to the senatorial bets.
The vice-governor said that he pays his respects to the senatorial bets, especially Aquino, who helped public colleges and universities in Pampanga like Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, offer free tuition and miscellaneous fees.
For his part, Rodriguez, an LP stalwart, said that “this is the time of the year wherein people need to hear, listen, and know who to vote for. In a contest like this, these senatorial bets are needed to exert extra effort not only for the people to listen to them, but to be elected through the means of democracy which should be upheld and protected.”
Other members in the Otso Diretso slate are former solicitor general Florin Hilbay and former Interior and Local Government secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.